whitney



(Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. WHITNEY. SAFETY LOGK FOR FIRE ARMS.

,No. 451,191. Patented Apr. 28, 1891.

Jnvenor: Wilhelm ff. Whiz/nay.

(MOdeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. WHITNEY.

SAFETY LOOK FOR FIRE ARMS.

No. 451,191. Patented Apr. 28,1891.

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UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

IVILLIAM II. IVIIITNEY, OF FLORENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE YVHITNEY SAFETY FIRE-ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY-LOCK FOR Fl RE-ARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,191, dated April 28, 1891.

Application filed Aprilll, 1890. Serial No. 347,508. (ModeL) To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LIVILLIAM H. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Florence, in the State of Massachusetts, formerly of East Brookfield, Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is additional to my improvement in breech-loading fire-arms, patented September 2, 1884:, by United States Letters Patent No. 304,480; and it consists in certain novel combinations of peculiarly-constructed parts, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The present improvement as a whole, in common with said previous improvement, is preferably embodied in a hammerless double-barreled breech-loader, but maybe embodied wholly or in part in other styles of small-arms. The hammers, as in the preferred arrangement set forth in said Letters Patent No. 304,480, are always at cock, except at the moment of firing, while the mainsprings normally have no tension whatever on them. The mainsprings are put in tension by pressing upward a tension-lever, as it is hereinafter termed, which is pressed home by the shooters firing-hand when the gun is brought to the shoulder. Upon releasing this lever after firing, the hammers are automatically cooked, and in case the gun is not fired the springs automatically become passive as soon as the lever is released by opening the hand. The common object thus aimed at in the two inventionsis to render the gun absolutely safe against accidental discharge.

The distinguishing objects of the present invention are, first, to simplify the construction of the mainsprings proper and by the same means to reduce the work of the tensionlever; secondly, to provide for the employment of a small and simple cocking-spring out of contact with the mainsprings proper; thirdly, to adapt a single sear-spring to hold down a pair of triggers and to keep a pair of scars in place and to adapt such spring to be attached by a single screw; fourthl y, to relieve the sear-spring from strain, so that a very light spring suffices, and, fifthly, to provide for the attachment of all the working parts of the lock and safety device to a detachable trigger-plate, so as to facilitate assembling the parts and also taking the gun apart to clean it.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings is aside view of a mid-length portion of an improved safety fire-arm illustrating this invention. Fig. 2'is alike view of the same portion, with the stock in longitudinal section, showing the movable parts in their normal position of rest, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is another sectional side view of the same portion, showing the movable parts in full lines as they appear when the gun is ready to be fired, and representing by dotted lines the movements incident to pulling the near trigger. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the improved lock and safety device detached, with the trigger-plate and the front end of the tension-lever in section and with dotted outlines of the other division of the metallic action of the gun as separated with the lock and safety device from the stock. Fig. 5 is a top view of both divisions of the action as represented in Fig. i with those portions above the section-line 5 5 broken away. Fig. 6 is a top view of thelock and safety device with the hammers, mainsprings, and connections broken away and removed to expose to view the cocking-spring, sears, and sear-spring. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the improved mainsprings and their rocker detached. Fig. 7 isalike view of the same with a divided or two-part rocker. Fig. Sis a perspective view of the sears detached. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the triggers detached, and Fig. 10 is a top view of the sear-spring detached.

Figs. 4 to 10, inclusive, are enlarged one diameter from Figs. 1 to 3, and like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

The particular fire-arm represented by the drawings is a double-barreled breeclrloading shotgun.

The main portion A of the Wooden stock (shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and hereinafter termed the stock terminates at front in a pair of checks 2, Fig. 1, at the respective sides of the lock-space, and is rigidly connected with the metallic breech-piece B by top and bottom tangs y or, formed, respectively, on said breech-piece and on the rear end of a triggerplate O, and by tang-screws w c, said triggerplate being rigidly connected with said breechpiece at its front end by a screw it. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.)

The barrels D have a wooden stock-tan g E attached to them at bottom and at its rear end are loosely hinged to the front end of a forward extension of said breech-piece B by a suitable joint comprising a transverse pivot 25, their tilting movement being limited by a stop projection 3, Figs. 4 and 5, inacustomary way. A recess 'r, Fig. 5, in said extension of the breech-piece receives a hook-rib united with the rear ends of the barrels at bottom, and when the breech is closed it is automatically secured by a suitable fasteningF,which is preferably located at the top of the breechpiece and comprises a locking-spring q, Fig. 4, and an unfastening thumb-lever p. The breech-piece B is further provided with suitable spring-retracted firing-pins 0, Fig. 5, and the remainder of the action of the gun is carried by said trigger-plate 0. Consequently by removing said screws 10, r, and M, Fig. 2, or by removing the tan g-screws and loosening said screw it, the entire action may be quickly and easily Withdrawn end wise from the stock and then separated, as illustrated by Fig. 4.

The present invention relates exclusively to said trigger-plate O and the parts carried thereby, and further reference to the drawings will be mainly confined to Figs. 4 to 10, inclusive, where these parts are segregated, except for the operation of the safety device, as illustrated by Figs. 1 to 3.

' The mainsprings G, Figs. 4, 5, 7, and 7 are of a peculiarly simple straight form, having transverse cylindrical enlargements at their respective ends, those at their smaller ends being milled and drilled to form hinge-joints connecting the springs with short links G Fig. 4, that connect in like manner with short crank-arms on the hubs of the hammers H, as heretofore. The rear ends of the mainsprings are tightly fitted into lateral recesses in a rocker I or 1 which is pivoted at its rear end by a transverse pivotal screw n and is constructed with a curved recess at bottom in its front portion to form the cam-wedge m to coact with the anti-friction roller Z, with which a short crank-arm at the front end of the tension-lever J terminates. Said pivotal screw n is located as high as possible with reference to the cam-wedge portion of the rocker, so that when the springs are put in tension, as illustrated by Fig. 3, the rocker will swing forward as the springs bend, and thus reduce the work of the lever and. also present the cam-wedge m in a more effective position to coact with the roller Z. The rocker 1 Fig. T is made in two parts, one for each spring, and individual mainsprings may obviously be so pivoted.

A single cocking-spring K, of a small and simple pattern, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, coacts with a flangek on the rear end of the rocker I or I at bottom, so as to act on both mainsprings through the rocker. through the mainsprings G and links G the cocking-spring restores the hammers I-I automatically to their normal cocked position, and, acting through the cam-wedge m of the rocker and the anti-friction roller Z, it simultaneously restores the tension-lever J to its normal position. (Represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.)

A single fiat sear-spring L, Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 10, (shown detached bythe figure last named,) coacts with the lever ends of a pair of sears M M (shown detached by Fig. 8) and therethrough on the lever-arms of a pair of triggers N N (Shown detached by Fig. 9.) The combination is illustrated by Figs. 4 and 6. The tops of said leverends of the sears are normally flush with the top of the triggerplate 0, which is made deep enough and suitably recessed for the purpose. The flat searspring is thus adapted to rest normally on the top of the trigger-plate and is attached thereto by a single vertical screw at its rear end, which is closed. Its other end is divided longitudinally and recessed so as to render its respective limbs of L shape. They are thus adapted to cross the respective sears at a given effective point, as shown in Fig. 6, and the spring may be stamped complete from sh eet-steel. The sears M M are pivoted by a transverse pin 1' and the triggers N N 2 by a transverse pin 71, and the pivot-holes in .the former are located by means of downward extensions i Fig. 8, of the respective sears, so as to be below a straight line drawn rearwardly from the front end of either sear or from either hammer-notch to the front end of the sear-spring when the mainsprings G are in tension. (Compare Figs. 3 and 4.) Consequently the strain of the mainsprings on the upwardly projecting hammers H, acting through the sears so pivoted, tends to depress the lever ends of the scars, instead of subjecting the sear-spring L to added strain,

Acting as heretofore, and the sear-spring may hencebe verylight without risk of failure. The guard O is screwed fast to the bottom of the triggerplate 0 at its front end, and is conveniently fastened at its rear end by the extremity of said screw j, as shown in Fig. 4. Farther back the cocking-spring Kis attached to the top of the trigger-plate byanother vertical screw g. Between these points the trigger-plate is provided with a contracted and depressed waist, which is embraced by the bifurcated front end of the tension-lever J and receives its transverse pivotal screw f, Fig. 4. A parallel pivotal screw e, Fig. 4, confines the anti-friction roller Z between the extremities of the bifurcated portion of the tension-lever which constitutes its said lever-arm. The rear end of the tension-lever is preferably provided with a sector-arm (Z, which guards its free extremity, and is accommodated by a slot d in the undertang wand'a recess (Z Fig. 2, in the stock A. The movement'of the tension-lever is limited by a stop-pin c at the extremity of the sector-arm d, and by abutments b on the uprights of the trigger-plate, between which the rocker I is pivoted. Either one of these stop provisions may be omitted, and other I like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

The trigger-plate has a pairof longitudinal recesses fitted to the sears M M the leverarms of the triggersN N and the hubs of the hammers H, as shown in Figs. & to 6, and at the front ends of said recesses it forms three strong lugs, between which the hammers are effectively pivoted by a transverse pivotal screw to, Fig. at. At the front extremity of the trigger-plate there is a fiat attaching end having a drill-hole 11?, Figs. 4 to 6, to receive said screw to, Fig. 2, and suitably shaped to form a rigid joint in connection with a milled seat fitted thereto in the bottom of the breechpiece B, and the tang a: of the trigger-plate is provided with a countersunk hole 0; to coaet with said tang-screw r, Fig. 2, and with a tapped hole 10 to coact with said tangscrew w, Fig. 2.

The trigger-plate C and breech-piece B, held together as shown in Figs. at and 5, are ap plied endwise to the stock A, and when the checks 2 are in place and the tangs y and a; are in their seats the screws 10, v, and u are inserted, the barrels, if detached, are applied, and the gun is then ready for use. Itis loaded in customary manner, and the breech is closed and automatically secured by the breech-fastening F, as aforesaid,without in any manner afiecting the lock. The hammers II remain at cock and the mainsprings G free from tension, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2, until the tension-lever J is pressed home, as illustrated by Fig. 3. This is readily done by the firinghand of the shooter as the gun is brought to the shoulder. Vhen either trigger is then touched, the corresponding sear is tripped, and the corresponding hammer is projected against the firing-pin 0 in line therewith by the freed mainspring, as represented by dotted lines at N G 1-1 in Fig. 3. When the tension-lever is freed by opening the hand after firing either or both barrels, it is automatically returned to its normal position and the displaced hammer or hammers recocked by the cocking-spring K, Fig. 4, as before described.

Details which have not been specified may be of any approved description, and I do not limit my respective claims to particular mechanical details, except as therein expressly stated.

Having thus described a gun embodying my said improvement, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification 1. An improved safety fire-arm having a pivoted hammer or pair of hammers, a normally-passive mainspring coupled to each hammer, a rocker in which the rear end of each mainspring is rigidly held, having an elevated pivot at its rear end parallel to that of the hammer or hammers, and a tension-lever coacting with said rocker to put the mainspring or mainsprings in tension preparatory to firing.

2. The combination,in a safety fire-arm, of

a hammer or pair of hammers, a normallypassive mainspring coupled to each hammer, a rocker in which the rear end of each mainspring is rigidly held,having a pivot parallel to that of the hammer or hammers, a tensionlever coacting with said rocker, and a cocking-spring also coacting with the same to antomatically recock the hammer or hammers and to restore said tension-lever to its normal position of rest, substantially as hereinbeforc specified.

3. The combination, with a pair of hammers and a pair of triggers, of a pair of sears having lever ends in one and the same horizontal plane overlying the lever-arms of the triggers and a fiat sear-spring having limbs which cross the respective lever ends of the scars, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

4. In combination with a trigger-plate and an upwardly-projecti11g hammer or hammers pivoted to its upper side, a substantially horizontal sear or pair of sears engaging with the hammers at their front extremities and having rearwardly-projecting lever ends, a scarspring above said lever ends, and a sear-pivot which is parallel with that of the hammer or hammers and below a straight line drawn rearwardly from the front end of either soar to the front end of the sear-spring, substantially as shown and described.

'5. In combination with the main stock terminating in front in a pair of Wooden cheeks at the respective sides of the lock-space and with the breech-piece having the top tang united therewith and with the tang-screws w r and screw to, the trigger-plate having the bottom tang formed thereon, together with suitable projections on its upper side, and recessed and slotted, as shown, the tension-lever, mainspring-rocker, hammers, scars, and triggers pivoted to said trigger-plate, and the cookingspring, sear spring, and trigger guard attached thereto, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

\VM. I-l. WHITNEY. Vitnesses:

A. G. HILL, T. T. OARTWRIGHT.

IIO 

